Fenton DDA Resolves Lettering Issue with Welcome Signs

Fenton's four new, large welcome signs, installed in October, will have white reflective lettering on the back for easier reading — as the Downtown Development Authority originally intended. The new signs have caused some controversy, as questions arose about what the ordered and what it received.

At Tuesday's meeting, the DDA board received an update and decided to have the vinyl lettering replaced with reflective vinyl lettering, as the DDA originally intended, said DDA Director Michael Burns. In addition, the DDA board approved Burns' recommendation that Universal Signs be paid for outstanding invoices.

The cost is $2,250 for Universal Signs to make changes to the four large welcome signs at the main roads leading into Fenton. The DDA board voted to take the additional expense out of what Fenton owes consultant Sue Grissim, Burns said.

The wayfinding sign project, which includes a future phase, has added signs to welcome people to the city of Fenton and help direct them to places around the community. The total cost, for all phases, could total $250,000 to $300,000, funded by the DDA. The project has been in the making for a couple of years.

A bidder on the signs, who did not receive the contract, contacted city administrators after the signs went up in October, Burns said in his Jan. 17 memo to the DDA board. A representative for the bidder, Bill Carr Signs, voiced concerns about specifications, and the DDA board later approved a review of the wayfinding project by its engineers from OHM.

Grissim reviewed the 11 bids Fenton received for the signs, which the city opened on March 21, 2011, Burns' report stated. Grissim eliminated the lowest bid of $90,575, saying the bidder used foam cores for the decorative tops of the signs and not solid aluminum, as the bid specifications asked.

Grissim recommended Universal Signs' bid to the DDA board, which (at its April 19, 2011 meeting) approved a contract with Universal Signs not to exceed $102,510 for Phase I of the wayfinding project.

Concerns included, the tops of the signs not being solid aluminum. The city engineering consultant, reviewed both the written copy and drawings of the bid specifications, Burns said. The specifications' drawings showed hollow aluminum tops for the signs, so OHM, the DDA and the city concluded the signs were built to specifications in that respect.

In addition, at the Jan. 11 meeting, the DDA learned the reflective vinyl for the back of the four large welcome signs, at the city's main entrances, was changed without its approval, he said. Specifications asked for reflective, ivory-colored vinyl. Since ivory reflective vinyl wasn't available, the design consultant changed it to non-reflective to keep it the same color as the front of the sign, without the DDA's approval, the Jan. 17 memo said.

At its Jan. 17 meeting, DDA board members decided to have the vinyl changed to reflective, as it intended, Burns said. He recommends that OHM oversee the next phase of Fenton's wayfinding sign project. The DDA board did not take action yet on this recommendation.